Read Online Isle of Man (The Park Service Trilogy #2) by Ryan Winfield - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ryan Winfield
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ground.
“I was going to see my girl.”
“On Level 3?”
“Yeah.”
“But I thought you were moved down to 5.”
He holds up a lanyard with a dangling keycard similar to the professor’s.
“I’m apprenticing in freight.”
I laugh.
“Still sneaking around during rest hours, eh? Good to see some things haven’t changed.”
The professor grabs my arm.
“We need to keep moving.”
Red looks at the professor, a confused expression falling over his face.
“Hey, wait a minute. You’re a senior, aren’t you? A real, live senior. If you’re only thirty-five, I’ll eat my head.”
“No small task,” the professor grumbles, sizing up Red’s big head with an irritated glare. “Let’s go, Aubrey.”
“Are you all older up there?” Red asks. “And what are you doing down here?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, taking a step away. “And don’t tell anyone you saw us here, either.”
Turning away, I follow the professor toward the train.
We both stop when I hear Red scream.
I turn back and see Hannah leading Red along behind us, pulling him by his ear. They pass us by, Red flailing his arms and crying.
Hannah says: “No way is he staying behind.”
Before I can protest, we’re all on board the train and the door is closed and locked. Red slumps down in a seat and rubs his ear, already bright red and swelling. Hannah storms to the back of the car and sits with her arms crossed. The professor looks at me and shakes his heads, leaving me to sit down and explain things to Red. No easy task for sure.
By the time we approach the Foundation, nearly five hours later, I’ve somehow managed to confuse Red more than I’ve managed to enlighten him.
“So ... ,” he scratches his head, “Eden wasn’t really Eden, but now it’s been destroyed by a flood anyway? And this guy’s how old again?”
“Don’t get hung up on the details,” I say, not wanting to go over it for the thirteenth time. “Just know you’re taking part in something big up here now. Okay? Something that you’ll be remembered for forever.”
“You mean freeing the people?”
“Yes, freeing the people.”
“And what about these drones again?”
The train glides to a stop, and Hannah struts to the door and yanks it opens. We follow her onto the Foundation cavern platform.
Red looks around.
“So where are we now?”
When Hannah shoots an annoyed look our way, the professor says: “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you let me show Red here around the Foundation, explain some things to the lad. Might be nice to dust off my old teaching skills, you know. That way you two can go get some rest.”
“What about the mastercode?” I ask, holding up the hard disk. “Don’t we need to load it?”
“I’ll start a system backup,” the professor says, taking it from my hand. “But that will take hours. I’ll come and get you when things are ready to be rebooted.” Then he nods to the lesson slate in my other hand. “Would you like me to give that a charge while I’m at it?”
“Please. Thanks. I miss reading a lot. And I am pretty beat. I think I will go get some rest.”
“I’m not tired,” Hannah says. “I’m going to go see what’s salvageable in the lab.”
Hannah takes off toward her lab, the professor leads Red away, and I head for the welcome relief of a submarine bunk.
I descend the ladder and make my way to the bunkroom, navigating by memory and not bothering to turn on any lights. I crawl halfway into my narrow bunk and freeze. Someone’s in my bed! I have one leg on the mattress, and one leg still on the ground, and all I can hear is my heart pounding in my chest. Then something warm and bristly rubs against my ankle. Still not daring to move, I squint until my eyes adjust to the low light, and I notice Junior lying on the floor by my feet.
Hope leaps into my heart.
I turn and look at Jimmy’s shadow next to me, his sleeping face fading into view. He looks peaceful and calm, not a care
“I was going to see my girl.”
“On Level 3?”
“Yeah.”
“But I thought you were moved down to 5.”
He holds up a lanyard with a dangling keycard similar to the professor’s.
“I’m apprenticing in freight.”
I laugh.
“Still sneaking around during rest hours, eh? Good to see some things haven’t changed.”
The professor grabs my arm.
“We need to keep moving.”
Red looks at the professor, a confused expression falling over his face.
“Hey, wait a minute. You’re a senior, aren’t you? A real, live senior. If you’re only thirty-five, I’ll eat my head.”
“No small task,” the professor grumbles, sizing up Red’s big head with an irritated glare. “Let’s go, Aubrey.”
“Are you all older up there?” Red asks. “And what are you doing down here?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say, taking a step away. “And don’t tell anyone you saw us here, either.”
Turning away, I follow the professor toward the train.
We both stop when I hear Red scream.
I turn back and see Hannah leading Red along behind us, pulling him by his ear. They pass us by, Red flailing his arms and crying.
Hannah says: “No way is he staying behind.”
Before I can protest, we’re all on board the train and the door is closed and locked. Red slumps down in a seat and rubs his ear, already bright red and swelling. Hannah storms to the back of the car and sits with her arms crossed. The professor looks at me and shakes his heads, leaving me to sit down and explain things to Red. No easy task for sure.
By the time we approach the Foundation, nearly five hours later, I’ve somehow managed to confuse Red more than I’ve managed to enlighten him.
“So ... ,” he scratches his head, “Eden wasn’t really Eden, but now it’s been destroyed by a flood anyway? And this guy’s how old again?”
“Don’t get hung up on the details,” I say, not wanting to go over it for the thirteenth time. “Just know you’re taking part in something big up here now. Okay? Something that you’ll be remembered for forever.”
“You mean freeing the people?”
“Yes, freeing the people.”
“And what about these drones again?”
The train glides to a stop, and Hannah struts to the door and yanks it opens. We follow her onto the Foundation cavern platform.
Red looks around.
“So where are we now?”
When Hannah shoots an annoyed look our way, the professor says: “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you let me show Red here around the Foundation, explain some things to the lad. Might be nice to dust off my old teaching skills, you know. That way you two can go get some rest.”
“What about the mastercode?” I ask, holding up the hard disk. “Don’t we need to load it?”
“I’ll start a system backup,” the professor says, taking it from my hand. “But that will take hours. I’ll come and get you when things are ready to be rebooted.” Then he nods to the lesson slate in my other hand. “Would you like me to give that a charge while I’m at it?”
“Please. Thanks. I miss reading a lot. And I am pretty beat. I think I will go get some rest.”
“I’m not tired,” Hannah says. “I’m going to go see what’s salvageable in the lab.”
Hannah takes off toward her lab, the professor leads Red away, and I head for the welcome relief of a submarine bunk.
I descend the ladder and make my way to the bunkroom, navigating by memory and not bothering to turn on any lights. I crawl halfway into my narrow bunk and freeze. Someone’s in my bed! I have one leg on the mattress, and one leg still on the ground, and all I can hear is my heart pounding in my chest. Then something warm and bristly rubs against my ankle. Still not daring to move, I squint until my eyes adjust to the low light, and I notice Junior lying on the floor by my feet.
Hope leaps into my heart.
I turn and look at Jimmy’s shadow next to me, his sleeping face fading into view. He looks peaceful and calm, not a care
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